A driver who spent a month in a coma and killed two of his friends after smashing his BMW into a tree on the A12 at 90 miles per hour told a court he wanted to "fall on his sword" to help him overcome his grief.

Yousif Al-Mussawi came off the northbound carriageway of the A12 near Ingatestone and ploughed into a tree, closing the road for hours. The 27-year-old survived but was left with no memory of the incident, while two of his closest friends, Farhad-Zubair Maqbool and Yahya Sharif, died.

Basildon Crown Court heard today (Monday April 23) how Al-Mussawi hit speeds of 90mph before losing control of the BMW on a bend at around 11.30pm on November 12, 2016.

After recovering from a coma, he was originally charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving in September of 2017 but admitted the lesser charges of death by careless driving at a hearing on April 13 of this year.

Mr Maqbool was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle when it hit the tree, while Mr Sharif, an Anglia Ruskin student studying in Chelmsford, was sitting in the front passenger seat and bore most of the impact with the tree trunk.

The pair, both 25 and from Acton in West London, died despite the efforts of paramedics at the scene and hospital staff, while two off-duty Met Police officers also assisted along with members of the public.

Al-Mussawi, of the Crescent, Southall, London, meanwhile, was airlifted to Addenbrookes Hospital with a fractured skull and swelling on the brain.

The court heard how on the night in question, Al-Mussawi and his friends were travelling on the northbound carriageway towards Chelmsford when he lost control of the car.

While there were no eyewitnesses, Raymond Smith was also driving that night and told police that though he could not say for sure how fast the car was travelling, he saw the vehicle approaching rapidly in his right wing mirror and that it came past him "as if he was standing still".

Another driver, a Ms Joan Crossman, who was about to overtake a slower-moving vehicle, cancelled her indicators when she noticed the BMW approaching quickly behind her.

When she approached the scene of the collision, she and a number of other motorists walked over to the car and waited until police arrived.

An expert report written by Mark Hemmingway into the collision concluded that the defendant could have been applying his brakes quickly in order to react to another car in front.

While the car was travelling backwards, it struck a small tree and hedge which snapped the BMW's brake disc, causing it to spin in the opposite direction and propel towards a larger oak tree.

Al-Mussawi said he could remember nothing of the incident or the seven months prior to it after he awoke from his coma.

When he was interviewed by police on July 26, 2017, he issued a prepared statement saying: "I have no memories of the accident.

"I am devastated by the loss of my two friends."

Farhad-Zubair Maqbool and Yahya Sharif died in a crash on the A12 near Ingatestone

Carolyn Gardiner, prosecuting, argued that the incident should fall within the top category of careless driving and it should have been Al-Mussawi's responsibility to ensure all of his passengers were wearing seatbelts, especially as a warning light would have appeared on his dashboard.

But Francessca Levett, mitigating, argued that this was not a prolonged period of driving and was not aggravated by drugs or alcohol.

She explained to the court that he had also suffered because of the collision, and said: "He bears responsibility for it and we accept that two young men lost their lives.

"He has had to deal with his personal loss and he will always carry that with him. He also suffered life-changing injuries and injuries he still suffers from.

"He was airlifted to hospital and suffered a skull fracture with swelling on the brain. He had a disc of his skull removed to relieve pressure on it and was in a coma for four weeks.

"He also suffered broken ribs and broken bones in his back. He had to learn to speak properly again and has difficulty with reading and writing.

"He has had to learn Arabic again."

Al-Mussawi has so-far visited Yahya Sharif's grave in East London but "cannot face" going to Farhad's grave.

Ms Levett added: "It is clear he wishes to fall on his sword and he wishes to be punished so he could move on as he finds it difficult to grieve for his friends."

The court also heard how Al-Mussawi was living in hostels after the accident because his family - who were in court today - had moved to Glasgow.

His 17-year-old brother Ibrahim is currently living with him as he finishes off his A-Levels and he has a six-year-old daughter who he sees at the weekend.

Ms Levett also revealed that both families of the victims had forgiven him for what he had done.

"The family of Farhad were kind enough to come to myself and the defendant.

"They are a very generous family and very emotional. They offer full support to the defendant and embraced him today, which is amazing in the circumstances."

Police speak out

Senior investigating officer, Sergeant Peter Swan said: “This was a tragic incident that claimed the lives of two people and changed the life of another. “All three were close friends and this is a reminder that excess speed can change lives forever in a fraction of a second. “I would like to pay tribute to the families of both Mr Maqbool and Mr Sharif, who have found it in their hearts to forgive Al-Mussawi, which was undoubtedly taken into consideration by the judge today. “My thoughts are very much with them as they face the future without their loved ones.”

Walid Ibrahim, who is part of a group of 11 close friends which included both Al-Mussawi and the deceased, stood up in court and said: "For him to go to prison, I do not see any benefits at all.

"It takes a long time to understand him - I have seen a lot of changes in him.

"This was a time when we recognised in ourselves that our lives were taking shape - it is a shame that he has had to deal with that while we are going through this.

"It has been a huge loss and it feels as though the group is incomplete. It is difficult to look at Farhad's brother because I see Farhad in him.

"I want you guys to feel the love for him as we feel for him."

Paying tribute to Mr Sharif at the time, a spokesman for Anglia Ruskin University confirmed that he had been studying for a BSc in civil engineering since 2014.

The spokesman said: "As a student he was a delight to teach, bright, clever and keen to learn. But he was also much more than that.

"He brought his big personality and great sense of humour to the classroom. He was friendly, kind and enthusiastic, always willing to help fellow students, and had made many friends at Anglia Ruskin.

"Yahya will be very much missed by staff and students alike. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time."

Passing sentence, Judge Samantha Leigh offered her sympathies to the families and the defendant, before handing Al-Mussawi an 18-month prison term, suspended for two years.

He must also undertake 60 RAR days and was disqualified from driving for three years.